Comminution machine

ABSTRACT

A comminution machine included in an earth working machine which can be moved over a terrestrial area to be worked in a direction of working comprises a rotating roller comminution device. A grader blade is mounted on the comminution machine down stream from the comminution device in the direction of working.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a national phase application of PCT/EP2002/11228, filed Oct. 7, 2002, and claims priority to GermanApplication Serial Number 201 16 343.8, filed Oct. 5, 2001, thedisclosures of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference hereinin its entirety.

The invention relates to a comminution machine, in particular a stonemill.

For example, stone mills are used for working earth on which stones ofvarious sizes are lying, the intention being for these stones to becomminuted as intensely as possible.

A known comminution machine of this type (DE-A-3101216) is configured asa marginal-strip finisher, as it is known, which is provided with agrader blade. This grader blade comprises two plate-like parts, whichoverlap each other and can be displaced relative to each other. In thiscase, these plate-like parts of the known grader blade merely extendlaterally of the known marginal-strip finisher, since only lateralmarginal-strip finishing or renewal is envisaged.

The known marginal-strip finisher has no kind of specific devices forinfluencing the grader blade. This is not required either, since thecompaction of the earth is intended to be carried out by means ofseparate rollers.

The invention is based on the object of improving a comminution machineof the aforementioned type with regard to earth working and expanding itwith regard to the area of use.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a comminutionmachine of the aforementioned type having the features contained in thesingle patent claim.

The comminution machine according to the invention, in particular astone mill, which can be moved over earth to be worked in a direction ofworking, is provided with a comminution device, in particular a rotatingroller, a grader blade, which is provided on the comminution device andarranged downstream of the latter in the direction of working, anactuating device by means of which the grader blade is fixed to thecomminution device and can be lowered as far as the earth worked by thecomminution machine and can be pressed with a predetermined forceagainst the earth worked by the comminution machine, and with apositioning device, which is arranged between the grader blade and itsactuating device and by means of which the grader blade, firstly, can betilted about an axis running in the direction of working and parallel tothe earth worked and, secondly, can be pivoted about an axisperpendicular to the earth worked, and can be fixed in any desiredposition within the tilting or pivoting range.

With the comminution machine configured according to the invention,amongst other things the advantage is achieved that, at the same time asthe earth is worked, leveling or grading is carried out. In theconfiguration of the comminution machine as a stone mill, it is thuspossible to mill the stones at the same time by means of the comminutiondevice and to grade the earth worked with the grader blade, so that thematerial which accumulates during the comminution is distributeduniformly and evenly behind the comminution machine. As a result, thearea of application of the comminution machine according to theinvention is, for example, expanded to the rapid and economic productionof roads which can be traveled.

The actuating device by means of which the grader blade is fixed to thecomminution device is advantageously configured in such a way that thegrader blade can not only be lowered as far as the earth worked by thecomminution machine but can also be pressed with a predetermined forceagainst this earth worked by the comminution machine.

Finally, the positioning device which is arranged between the graderblade and its actuating device can additionally be configured in such away that the grader blade, firstly, can be tilted about an axis runningin the direction of working and parallel to the earth worked and,secondly, can be pivoted about an axis perpendicular to the earth workedand, finally, can be fixed in any desired position within the tilting orpivoting range. This advantageously makes it possible to set the graderblade by means of the positioning device to a desired inclination of theroad or of the street, for example 3–5° on either side of a centralcrest.

The invention will be explained in more detail in the following textusing the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a comminution machine accordingto the invention in side view, and

FIG. 2 shows a grader blade for the comminution machine according toFIG. 1 in a perspective view.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of the comminution machine of FIG. 1 with arotatable roller.

The preferred embodiment of a comminution machine according to theinvention, illustrated in FIG. 1, comprises a comminution device, notillustrated, in the form of a rotating drum, to which milling teeth arefixed. The drum is enclosed by a housing 10 which, by means of skids 12,rests on earth to be worked. The comminution machine is detachably fixedvia mountings 14 to a traction machine, not illustrated, and thetraction machine pulls the comminution machine over the earth to beworked in a working direction 16, the housing 10 sliding over the groundby means of the skids 14. Within the housing 10, the milling teeth ofthe rotating drum act on the earth in a desired manner, for examplestones in the earth are fragmented. In this case, the drum isexpediently arranged in such a way that the milling teeth work apredetermined depth into the earth. At an end 18 which is opposite tothe working direction 16 or at the rear of the comminution machine, thecomminuted material emerges. A deflector 20 in this case preventsmaterial fragments flying unimpeded out of the working area of the drum.

As viewed in the direction of working 16, behind the drum, that is tosay downstream of the location worked by the comminution machine,according to the invention a grader blade 22 is fixed to the comminutionmachine. For this purpose, a mounting crossmember 24 is provided, whichis attached to the housing 10 at a first point 28 by side plates 26.Furthermore, the side plates 26 are attached by hydraulic cylinders 30at a second point 32 which is at a distance from the first point 28. Inthis way, telescopic extension and retraction of the hydraulic cylinder30 leads to the mounting crossmember 24 being raised or lowered. Twohydraulic cylinders 30 are preferably provided, which form an actuatingdevice for the grader blade 22 with respect to the raising and loweringfunction. By means of appropriate hydraulic pressure in the hydrauliccylinders 30 in the direction of the lowered grader blade 22, it isadditionally possible to press the grader blade 22 against the earthworked, so that material leaving the housing 10 is appropriately leveledby the grader blade 22, that is to say is graded.

FIG. 2 illustrates the further pivotable fixing of the grader blade 22to the mounting crossmember 24. Fixed to the mounting crossmember 24 isa pivoting joint 34, which permits the grader blade 22 to be pivotedabout an axis 36 perpendicular to the earth worked within apredetermined pivoting range. Arranged on the pivoting joint 34 are tworetaining plates 38, between which a fixing crossmember 42 is attachedvia a pivot 40. In this way, the fixing crossmember 42 and therefore thegrader blade 22 can be pivoted within a predetermined pivoting rangeabout an axis 44 in the direction of working 16. Fixed to the fixingcrossmember 42 are adjusting plates 46, in which threaded bolts 48 fixedpivotably to the retaining plates 38 engage, it being possible for apivoted position of the grader blade about the axis 44 to be fixed bymeans of nuts 50 on the threaded bolts 48. The pair of axes 36, 44define a plane parallel to the direction of working and perpendicular tothe earth worked.

Finally, the grader blade 22 is fixed to the fixing crossmember 42. Inthis case, appropriate side plates 52 are provided, the grader blade 22being connected directly to one side plate 52 at a pivot 54, and thegrader blade 22 being connected at a further pivot 56 via a springdamper 58 to a pivot 60 on the grader blade 22 at a distance from thepivot 54. The pivot 60 is arranged at an end of the grader blade 22which rests on the earth, so that the spring damper 58 presses thegrader blade 22 in a sprung manner against the earth to be graded.

In order to pivot the grader blade 22 about the axis 36, a screw fixingfor two interengaging toothed plates 64, 66 is released via a hand wheel62, so that these toothed plates 64, 66 come out of engagement.Following adjustment of the desired pivoted position about the axis 36,the screw fixing is tightened again, so that the two toothed plates 64,66 come into engagement again and fix this pivoted position. Anappropriate pivoted position of the grader blade 22 about the axis 36ensures that the comminuted material is distributed uniformly behind thehousing 10 and excess material is transported away to the side.

In order to pivot the grader blade 22 about the axis 44, the positionsof the nuts 50 on the threaded bolts 48 are changed appropriately byscrewing. As a result of interaction between the nuts 50 and theadjusting plates 46, the grader blade 22 tilts in the correspondingmanner. By tilting the grader blade 22 out of the plane of the earthworked, it is possible to grade a road which slopes laterally, fromwhich rainwater runs off quickly in the desired manner.

1. A comminution machine capable of being moved over ground to be workedin a direction of working, comprising; a) a comminution device includinga rotatable roller; b) a grader blade on the comminution device,downstream of the comminution device in the direction of working; c) anactuating device for fixing the grader blade to the comminution devicefor enabling the grader blade to be lowered to the earth worked by thecomminution machine, and for causing the grader blade to be pressed witha predetermined force against the earth worked by the comminutionmachine, and d) a positioning device connected to and between the graderblade and the actuating device for enabling the grader blade to betilted independently of the comminution device about an axis extendingin the direction of working, and parallel to the earth worked andpivoted independently of the comminution device about an axisperpendicular to the earth worked, the positioning device being coupledwith the grader blade for enabling the grader blade to be fixed in anydesired position within a predetermined tilting or pivoting range. 2.The machine of claim 1 wherein the rotatable roller is arranged to crushstone to prepare a gravel road.